JPH089081A - Facsimile store and forward exchange system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily and surely revise (set) an operating control state through a communication line from a remote location. CONSTITUTION:When an operation start (open station) is set, a pushbutton switch SW1 of an operation controller 14 is closed and an operation control signal (command) is sent to the facsimile store and forward exchange 10 through a communication line. The facsimile store and forward exchange 10 starts its operation based on the operation control signal. Furthermore, a control processing reply signal representing the end of the operation start is returned to the operation controller 14 via the communication line. The operation controller 14 lights a light emitting diode LD1 representing the operation start to indicate the current operating state of the facsimile store and forward exchange 10 together with the setting end. Similarly the control end of the data input limit or the operation end (closing station) is lighted by a light emitting diode LD2 or LD3 by closing a pushbutton switch SW2 or SW3 to display the current operating state of the facsimile store and forward exchange 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile storage and exchange system for performing operation control such as operation start, data input restriction or termination through an operation control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a facsimile storage and exchange system of this kind has been equipped with an operation control device equipped with a display (CRT) as a standard equipment. With this operation control device, operation start, data input restriction or termination can be performed. The operation is controlled.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the structure of a conventional facsimile storage / exchange system. In FIG.
In this example, the facsimile terminals 2a, 2b ... 2n are connected, and further, another facsimile storage / exchange device and a communication line L are connected.
The operation control device 6 is connected to the facsimile storage / exchange device 4 connected by. The operation control device 6 has an interface (I / F) circuit 6a, a CPU 6b, an input / output (I / O) circuit 6c, a working RAM 6d, and a ROM 6e that stores a program, which processes data exchange with the facsimile storage / exchange device 4. , A keyboard 6f, a liquid crystal display (LCD) 6g, and a floppy disk drive (FDD) 6h as an external storage device.

The operation control device 6 controls the operation of the facsimile storage / exchange device 4 such as operation start, data input restriction or termination. The operation control device 6 has the same configuration as a small computer, and performs a required function selection and processing through an input operation of the keyboard 6f and a screen display of the LCD 6g.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional facsimile storage / exchange system, when performing operation control, the operator must go to the installation location of the facsimile storage / exchange device 4 and the operation control device 6. I won't.
In addition, since input operations such as function selection of the operation control device 6 are performed by the keyboard, it is not easy, and it takes a lot of time to finish the instruction. Further, in many cases, the operation of the operation control device 6 may be, for example, only the operation start, data input restriction, or end instruction operation. In this case, there is no need for screen display, and therefore the present apparatus shown in FIG. 10 has a disadvantage that the configuration is complicated and expensive.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and in particular, a facsimile capable of operation control operation for changing (setting) the operation state of the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus easily and reliably from a remote place. The purpose is to provide a store-and-forward system.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a facsimile storage and exchange system according to claim 1 is provided with:
One of a plurality of operating states is selected, and a facsimile storage / exchange apparatus that operates in the selected operating state is connected to the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus through a communication line to indicate at least one of a plurality of operating states. The configuration includes an operation control device that turns on a switch to perform remote operation control.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the facsimile storage and exchange system, the facsimile storage and exchange apparatus selects one operation state from a plurality of types of operation states of at least operation start, data input restriction, or operation end from the operation control device. Receiving means for receiving the operation control signal, operation start and stop means for setting the start of operation based on the operation control signal received by the receiving means, and stopping the current operation, and operation start and stop means After the start is set, a response sending means for sending a response signal indicating the completion of the control process indicating the operation start is provided, and the operation control device includes a plurality of switches for instructing each of a plurality of types of operation states, and a plurality of switches. Among the switches, the sending means for sending the operation control signal corresponding to the turned-on switch through the communication line, Receiving means for receiving a response signal indicating control processing completion, based on the control processing response signals received by the receiving means, a structure and a display means for displaying the operational state of the device is indicated.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile storage and exchange system in which a display means is lit to indicate one of a plurality of operating states by lighting, a sounding means indicating sound quality or the number of times of sounding, and a character graphic. In this configuration, any one or a combination of the screen display means for displaying the screen is displayed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile storage / exchange system in which any one of a communication line, a dedicated communication line, a public communication line, a LAN, and a private line such as RS-232C is used as a communication line.

[0011]

In the facsimile store-and-forward system according to claims 1, 2 and 4 having such a configuration, the operation control device sets at least one of a plurality of operation states of operation start, data input restriction or operation end to a switch. It is turned on to give an instruction, and the operation control signal of this instruction is sent to the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus through any one of a communication line, a dedicated communication line, and a public communication line. The facsimile storage / exchange apparatus performs operation start, data input restriction, or operation end according to the instruction of the operation control signal. A response signal of the control process indicating the operation start is sent to the operation control device through the communication line to display the operation start. Therefore, the operation control operation for setting the operation state of the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus can be performed easily and reliably from a distant place through the communication line.

In the facsimile storage and exchange system according to the present invention, the display means lights up and displays the end of setting of one operating state among a plurality of operating states, and also changes the sound quality or the number of times of sound generation. In addition to displaying in, the screen is displayed in the form of a character. Therefore, according to the installation location of the operation control device and the operator, it is possible to easily confirm the setting end of the operation state in the facsimile storage / exchange device and the current setting contents. For example, when the operation control device is installed in a dark place, the setting of the operation state is completed, the current setting contents are displayed by lighting, and the sound quality is changed or the number of times the sound is generated for an unfamiliar operator. And the screen display are performed together.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of a facsimile storage and exchange system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment of a facsimile storage and exchange system of the present invention. In FIG. 1, this example shows a facsimile storage / exchange apparatus 10 connected to another facsimile storage / exchange apparatus via a public line La, for example.
And the facsimile storage / exchange device 10 and the public line Lb.
There is provided a switching center 12 of a public line network connected through. Further, communication lines Ld, Le ... Lf are connected to the operation control device 14 installed at a remote place and connected to the exchange 12 via the public line Lc, and the facsimile storage / exchange device 10.
Facsimile terminal 16 connected through each of
a, 16b ... 16n are provided.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus 10. In FIG. 2, in this example, the communication lines Ld to Lf are connected and the communication control unit 20 for processing the facsimile message data (transmission document) from the facsimile terminals 16a to 16n, and the storage exchange of the facsimile message data in this main body. And a CPU 21 for controlling the. Further, the input / output (I / O) circuit 22
And a working RAM connected to the I / O circuit 22.
23 and a ROM 24 storing a control program.

A hard disk drive (HDD) 25 for accumulating facsimile message data and a public line L
b, facsimile communication data between the communication control unit 26 that transmits and receives the operation control signal and the control processing response signal to and from the operation control device 14 through the exchange 12 and the public line Lc, and the other facsimile storage and exchange device (not shown) through the public line La. A timer circuit 2 that is connected to the communication control unit 27 for exchanging information and the like with the I / O circuit 22 and measures the current time.
And 8 are provided.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the operation control device 14. In FIG. 3, the operation control device 14
Is a communication control unit 30 that transmits and receives control signals to and from the operation control device 14 through the public line Lc, the exchange 12, and the public line Lb, a CPU 31 that processes operation control of the facsimile storage and exchange device 10, and an I / O circuit 32. And are provided. Further, the ROM 33 storing the control program
A RAM 34 for working, an I / O circuit 32,
A push button switch SW1 which is connected to the I / O circuit 32 and sets the operation start (opening), and the push button switch S
After W1 is turned on, a light emitting diode LD1 is provided which lights up when the control is completed and indicates the start of operation.

Further, the operation control device 14 has an I /
A push-button switch SW2 that is connected to the O circuit 32 to set the data input limit and a light emitting diode LD2 that lights up to indicate the data input limit after the push-button switch SW2 is turned on are provided. There is. In addition, a push button switch SW3 that is connected to the I / O circuit 32 to set the operation end (closed station), and after the push button switch SW3 is turned on, the control button is turned on to display the operation end (closed station). A light emitting diode LD3 is provided.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the external configuration of the operation control device 14. In FIG. 4, on the front panel,
A push button switch SW1 shown in FIG. 3, a light emitting diode LD1 provided above the push button switch SW1 for lighting and indicating the control completion of the operation start, and a push button switch SW2 provided above the push button switch SW1 to indicate the completion of control of data input. A light emitting diode LD2 that lights and displays, a push button switch SW3, and a light emitting diode LD3 that is provided above the light emitting diode LD3 and lights up and displays the completion of control of operation end (closed).

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. 1 to 4, in the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus 10, facsimile message signals from the facsimile terminals 16a to 16n connected to the communication lines Ld to Lf are transmitted through the communication control unit 20 to the CPU 21, the RAM 23, and the ROM.
The facsimile message data is received under the control of 24
It is stored in the HDD 25 through the / O circuit 22. Also, H
The facsimile message data stored in the DD 25 is processed by the CPU 21, the RAM 23, and the R by the interrupt processing at the designated time of the timer circuit 28 in the case of time designated transmission.
It is read under the control of OM24. This facsimile message data is transmitted through the communication control unit 27 and the public line La to, for example,
It is sent to the public line network by the relay through another facsimile storage / exchange device and distributed.

Operation control of such storage and exchange of facsimile message data, for example, operation start, data input restriction, or operation end is performed from the operation control device 14 installed at a remote location.

FIG. 5 is a sequence showing the processing procedure of the operation control operation. In FIGS. 1 to 5, when the operation start (opening) is set, when the push button switch SW1 is turned on, the turn-on is captured by the CPU 31 through the I / O circuit 35. The CPU 31 controls the communication control unit 30 to send an operation control signal (command) for instructing the operation start (opening) to the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus 10 through the public line Lc, the exchange 12 and the public line Ld. In the facsimile storage and exchange apparatus 10, the CPU 21 takes in an operation control signal (command) for starting operation (opening) through the communication control unit 26.

The CPU 21 controls the operation start of the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus 10 according to the control program of the ROM 24. Further, when the control for starting the operation is finished, the control processing response signal for starting the operation (opening) is transmitted to the communication control unit 26, the public line Ld, the exchange 12, and the public line L.
It is returned to the operation control device 14 through c. In the operation control device 14, the CPU 31 takes in the control processing response signal of the operation start (opening) through the communication control unit 30 and controls to turn on the light emitting diode LD1 through the I / O circuit 35. This lighting confirms the start of operation (opening) of the facsimile storage and exchange apparatus 10.

Similarly, the push button switch SW2 is turned on to set the data input restriction. Also in this case, when the control is completed, the light emitting diode LD2 is turned on to display the data input restriction. Further, the push button switch SW3 is turned on to end the operation (close the station). Also in this case, when the control is completed, the light emitting diode LD3 is turned on to indicate that the operation is stopped (closed).

As described above, in the first embodiment, operation start, data input restriction, or operation end can be performed by a simple operation of turning on the pushbutton switches SW1 to SW3 from the operation control device 14 installed at a remote place. And the completion of the control can be confirmed by turning on the light emitting diodes LD1 to LD3. In this case, push button switches SW1
Only by turning on the SW3, it becomes unnecessary to perform a plurality of troublesome keyboard input operations unlike the operation control device for the small computer described above, and the operation control operation can be performed easily and surely.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the operation control device 14 of the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a front view showing the external configuration of the operation control device 14 of the second embodiment. Figure 6
7 and FIG. 7, this example shows the light emitting diode LD1 in the operation control device 14 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS.
In place of LD3, a buzzer 40 is provided to notify by sounding the end of setting of operation start, data input restriction or operation end. Other configurations are the same as those of the operation control device 14 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described. This operation control operation is the same as the processing procedure of the operation control operation shown in FIG. 5, and the operation start, data input restriction, or operation end is instructed by turning on the pushbutton switches SW1 to SW3. In response to this instruction, the facsimile storage / exchange device 10 sets operation start, data input restriction, or operation end, and returns each control processing response signal to the operation control device 14. Based on this control processing response signal, the buzzer 40 informs the buzzer 40 by sound that each setting of operation start, data input restriction or operation end is completed. This sound notification changes the sound quality in three stages, or once, twice, and three times.
Distinguish by the number of times of pronunciation. Further, a speaker may be provided instead of the buzzer 40 for notifying the sound, and the speaker may output the setting of operation start, data input restriction, or operation end with synthetic voice. In this case, a synthesized voice circuit is connected to the CPU 31 and the synthesized voice data from here is input to I
It outputs to the speaker through the / O circuit 32.

Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, operation start, data input restriction or data input restriction can be performed only by turning on the pushbutton switches SW1 to SW3 from the operation control device 14 installed at the distant place. The operation end can be instructed, and the operator of the operation control device 14 can confirm the completion of the control by sound. In this case, the control completion can be easily confirmed even in the installation state where it is difficult to confirm the lighting light of the light emitting diodes LD1 to LD3 as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the operation control device 14 of the third embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a front view showing the external configuration of the operation control device 14 of the third embodiment. FIG.
9 and FIG. 9, this example shows the light emitting diode LD1 in the operation control device 14 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS.
In place of LD3, a liquid crystal display (LCD) 42 for displaying the start of operation, the restriction of data input or the end of setting of operation with characters or symbols is provided. The other configuration is the operation control device 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
The same as 4.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described. This operation control operation is similar to the processing procedure of the operation control operation shown in FIG. 5, and the operation start, data input restriction, or operation end is instructed by turning on the pushbutton switches SW1 to SW3. In response to this instruction, the facsimile storage / exchange device 10 sets the operation start, the data input restriction, or the operation end, and returns each control processing response signal to the operation control device 14. On the basis of this control processing response signal, operation start, data input restriction, or operation end is set by a character on the liquid crystal display (LCD) 42.
Display on screen with symbols.

This third embodiment is also the first and second embodiments.
Similar to the embodiment, the operation control device 14 installed at a remote place can instruct the operation start, the data input restriction or the operation end only by turning on the pushbutton switches SW1 to SW3, and the completion of the control Operation control device 1
It becomes possible for the operator of No. 4 to confirm it visually.

The light emitting diode LD1 of the first embodiment
The lighting of LD3, the notification of sound by the buzzer 40 of the second embodiment, or the screen display of the LCD 42 of the third embodiment may be simultaneously displayed by combining these three. For example, for an inexperienced operator, the sound quality may be changed, or the display of the number of times of sounding and the screen display may be combined.

[0032]

As is clear from the above description, in the facsimile storage and exchange system according to the first, second, and fourth aspects, the operation control device has a plurality of operation states of operation start, data input restriction, or operation end. Turn on at least one of the switches to instruct, and send this operation control signal through the communication line.
It is sent to the facsimile storage and exchange device. The facsimile storage / exchange apparatus performs operation start of operation control signal instructions, data input restriction, or operation end, and sends a control processing response signal indicating the operation start to the operation control apparatus through the communication line to start operation. Since the information is displayed, there is an effect that the operation control operation for changing (setting) the operation state of the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus can be performed easily and reliably from a distant place through the communication line.

In the facsimile storage and exchange system according to the present invention, the display means lights up and displays the end of setting of one operating state among a plurality of operating states, and also changes the sound quality or the number of times the sound is generated. In addition to displaying with, the screen is displayed in the form of letters and figures, so it is easy to confirm the setting of the operation status of the facsimile storage and exchange device and the current settings according to the installation location of the operation control device and the operator. It has the effect of being able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a first facsimile storage and exchange system of the present invention.
It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of an Example.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation control device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing an external configuration of the operation control device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sequence showing a processing procedure of the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation control device of a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing an external configuration of an operation control device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation control device of a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing an external configuration of an operation control device according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional facsimile storage / exchange system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Facsimile storage / exchange device 14 Operation control device 16a, 16b ... 16n Facsimile terminal 20, 26, 30 Communication control unit 21, 31 CPU 25 HDD 28 Timer circuit 40 Buzzer 42 LCD LD1 to LD3 Light emitting diode SW1 to SW3 Pushbutton switch

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A one of a plurality of operating states is selected, and a facsimile storage / exchange apparatus that operates in the selected operating state is connected to the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus through a communication line to provide a plurality of operating states. A facsimile storage and exchange system, comprising: an operation control device that performs remote operation control by turning on a switch that indicates at least one. 2. A receiving means for receiving, from the operation control device, an operation control signal for selecting one operation state from a plurality of operation states of at least operation start, data input restriction, and operation end, to the facsimile storage / exchange apparatus. And an operation start / stop means for setting an operation start based on an operation control signal received by the receiving means and stopping the current operation, and an operation start / stop operation after the operation start / stop means sets the operation start. A response sending means for sending a response signal indicating completion of control processing indicating start, and a plurality of switches for instructing the operation control device to each of a plurality of operation states, and a switch turned on in the plurality of switches. Sending means for sending an operation control signal corresponding to the switch through the communication line, and a response signal from the facsimile accumulating and switching apparatus indicating the completion of the control processing. Receiving means for signal for, on the basis of the control processing response signals received by the receiving means,
2. The facsimile storage and exchange system according to claim 1, further comprising: a display unit that displays an operation state instructed by the apparatus. 3. The display means displays one operating state among a plurality of operating states by a lighting means for lighting and displaying, a sounding means for changing sound quality, or a screen display with a character graphic. 3. The facsimile storage and exchange system according to claim 2, wherein any one or a combination of screen display means is provided. 4. A communication line as a communication line, a dedicated communication line,
3. The facsimile storage / exchange system according to claim 1, wherein any one of a public communication line, a LAN, and a private line of RS-232C is used.